The Baroness
by Catherine or Cate
Summary: ONESHOT from colletion 'Any Number of Ways to Change the World' Alternate Universe worlds where Harry has a different childhood. Dangerous times force a woman to give up her baby daughter and then she waits, and hopes as only a mother can.


The Baroness

III

The Baroness

III

Ezekiel Evans slipped into the Swiss tavern and into an empty stool at the bar. Jazz strains bloomed from the record player near the till and the young man allowed himself to close his eyes. Out of habit, the woman behind the bar nodded her greeting.

"Whiskey sour," rusty haired, handsome young man requested hoping that the woman understood English because his French was shocking, his Italian, non-existent and his father had never allowed him, his brother, or his cousin to learn German.

The middle aged woman smiled and poured the drink before dropping the glass onto the counter in front of him. He smiled his thanks and reached for his wallet before the woman stopped him and pointed to the door.

Turning, Ezekiel saw the auburn hair of his brother's mistress as she stood just inside the tavern door.

"Gretta?" he asked, and the woman turned her attention toward him before gliding across the floor.

"Ezekiel," she whispered slipping into the stool beside him and dropping notes on the bar.

The barmaid scooped up the notes before a lemonade was placed in front of the woman. The jazz was turned up and the woman then turned and disappeared into a back room.

"Call me Eze," Ezekiel replied, despite his discomfort.

"That's what your brother always called you," the woman said weakly. "Everything with Eze is easy. He's a great guy. A better guy than me."

"Jeremiah was a great man too," Ezekiel replied as calmly as he could. "Yet, here I am in Switzerland, escorting the corpse of my brother home because he had six bullets punched into his chest less than a week ago."

Tears slipped down the cheeks of the woman at his side. "He was trying to help me," she whispered unevenly. "My family is Austrian. My brother and I were sent here to an aunt when the war started. We were little, children. Hans died in an avalanche as a young man. And I became the last of my line."

"Jez wrote there was something special about you. But he was a journalist. There was something special about everyone he met."

The woman pulled back her jacket to reveal a sleeping child with a shock of red hair.

"Jeremiah!" Eze groaned causing the baby to open her eyes. Her emerald green eyes. "That confirms she's an Evans."

"Her name is Lily, because Jeremiah wanted her to have the name of our favourite flower and for her to have something in common with her little cousin," Gretta explained. "I cannot keep Lily safe. Please take her back to England with you. Away from here! Away from those who want my family dead!"

"Does she have papers?" Ezekiel asked and documents covered with his brother's signature were slipped from Gretta's pocket and into his hand.

"My name and identity doesn't appear once. You just have to take her home and adopt her as your own," Gretta announced. "Will you do that for her, for Jeremiah?"

Eze looked up as the woman's accent became thicker as she became more upset. More German sounding.

"Who are you?"

"Baroness Gretta Schmetzer."

"Why did Jeremiah and you...?" Ezekiel asked. "How?"

"I saved his life, like I am about to save yours," the woman whispered wrapping her arms around Eze's chest.

The young man turned his face to the side to see the barmaid return with a large man carrying a gun. Then next thing Eze felt was a squeezing sensation and he was in a pale green nursery.

"What in God's name?" he asked, pushing Gretta away.

"Your brother told me you believed in magic as a small boy."

"You want to believe a lot of things during the Blitz," Eze replied. "What just happened?"

"I apparated you to a safe house," Gretta explained, lying the child down in the cot and retrieving a note from under the matress.

"Apparated?"

Gretta held out the note.

"Take it Eze. It is from Jeremiah."

Ezekiel took the note with a shaking hand and read.

_Brother, _

_I write this in fear that my daughter won't survive. _

_I love Gretta with all my heart, but we could never marry. Instead we had a child, Lily, who looks just like Mother with her green eyes. And now Lily may not survive._

_Everything Gretta tells you is the truth. I promise you, Eze. _

_Remember how in the bomb shelter we used to pretend that the falling bombs were actually Merlin fighting to save us. That we pretended magic was real just to pass the time. Well, we were half right._

_Gretta is a witch, with a wand and a pointy hat if you ask her nicely to put it on. She grew up with her mother's sister while her father's family were massacred in Austria. She and Lily are the last of their line. Eze, I need you to take Lily home and care for her if Gretta asks you to. It's been organised that you will receive money for your troubles and her special education when the time comes. _

_Lily is a witch as well. _

_Have Gretta give you my old books which explained it all to me. I ask you to honour the pledge we made as boys to care for each other's families if something ever happened to the other. I will be watching over you and yours from my new place. To that I promise._

_My death is now enevitable. They still don't know about Lily. Save Lily as I would save Petunia if you asked._

_I love you, Eze. Love my little girl enough for both of us. _

_I'll be watching. _

_Jeremiah,_

_Jez._

Ezekiel looked up to where Gretta was standing, watching her daughter sleep.

"I need Jez's books, and things for the baby and... My train leaves a midnight. Can you be ready by then?"

Gretta produced a long thin stick and waved it and immediately items began flying around the room and packing into a small bag. Eze then watched as she took off an elaborate pendant from where it hung about her neck. It too was tapped by the stick before the woman placed it into the man's hand.

"On her seventeenth birthday, give her this and tell her to tap it once with her wand and say 'truth'. Tell her that if she is ever in danger to tap it and say 'safety'. Promise me you won't forget," Gretta begged.

"I won't," Ezekiel promised.

Gretta grabbed the bag and shoved it at the man before she gently picked up the baby and held her close for a minute. Whispered and tapping the child at the base of her neck where her tiny collar bones met she held out the baby to the man, before covering her with a blanket.

"They won't notice her until you reach England," Gretta said. "I'll take you to the station."

Ezekiel shook as he landed in a back alley opposite the station with Gretta and Lily.

"Good luck," he whispered. "I hope you'll meet her again one day."

"I have patience. I will," Gretta replied. "Good luck on your own journey."

With a quiet pop, she disappeared, and Ezekiel walked across the road to the station without looking back.

III

Lily Evans Potter knew the moment the wards fell.

"Take Harry and go!" she heard James yell. But she was already half way up the stairs to the nursery.

Ripping the old necklace off, she placed it around her infant son's neck and whispered the delayed charm.

With a bang Voldemort entered the nursery, and Lily placed herself firmly between the murderous man and her precious son.

III

The green eyed child watched as him mother fell down dead, and he was covered in magical protections.

The green eyed child watched as the man who had hurt his mother screamed as the green light hit him and disappeared.

The green eyed child watched as the colours of his bedroom around him swirled and he reappeared in a pale green nursery in the middle of the floor.

The green eyed child watched as a grey haired woman gently picked him up and cradled him to her chest.

The green eyed child watched as she waved her wand and began to sob.

The green eyed child reached out recognising his mother's face, but not the pale blue eyes.

"It's just you and me now, Harry," she whispered. "Little Harry and Grandma Gretta."

III

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End file.
